Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Ontario government is funding the redevelopment and upgrading of Extendicare Stittsville, a long-term care home in the Ottawa area, as part of the province’s transformative vision to fix the long-term care sector and protect Ontario’s progress against COVID-19,
This project is included in the $2.7 billion investment announced for long-term care development expected to deliver 30,000 new beds over ten years and redevelop existing, older homes, to increase access to long-term care, reduce waitlists, and ease hospital capacity pressures.
“After decades of neglect and underfunding, our government is fixing Ontario’s long-term care sector and building modern, safe, comfortable homes for our seniors,” said Rod Phillips, minister of long-term care. “When the new Extendicare Stittsville is completed, it will have 256 beds for seniors in the community to call home, near their family and friends.”
A ground-breaking ceremony was held last week to launch construction of a brand new building for Extendicare Stittsville. This home will provide 256 upgraded, modern long-term care beds in the Ottawa area and is expected to welcome residents in Fall 2023.
The facility will include specific design improvements, including semi-private and private rooms, no ward rooms, larger resident common areas, air conditioning throughout and additional design features for infection prevention and control.
“Today’s ground-breaking is exciting news which marks the starting point for building modern, quality living spaces for the senior population in Stittsville and Carleton,” said Goldie Ghamari, MPP for Carleton. “Our government has been taking the necessary steps to improve the lives of our loved ones by building and upgrading long-term care homes that are safe and comfortable.”
The province is also providing up to $270 million this year to long-term care homes to increase staffing levels by 4,050 new long-term care staff across the province, leading to more direct care for residents.
Ontario now has 20,161 new and 15,918 redevelopment beds in the development pipeline – which means more than 60 percent of the 30,000 net new beds being delivered are in the planning, construction and completed stages of the development process.
As of June 2021, more than 38,000 people were on the waitlist to access a long-term care bed in Ontario. The median wait time is 163 days for applicants to be placed in long-term care.